Oak's Gleam
by frostesh
Summary: If you could have one wish, and have it granted.... but found out it was the biggest change in your life.... would you except it....or regret it? How about if it stired up a romance you never imagined?
1. Prolouge

Oaks Gleam - Prologue  
  
--Frost--  
  
wakka@hehe.com  
  
http://starvilles.cjb.net  
  
Alternate Reality/ PG   
  
  
Oaks Gleam - Prologue  
  
  
I stepped outside and into the chill autumn   
and closed my jacket tighter as if on instinct. My heart was pounding, raging inside my ribcage   
and if I closed my eyes I could hear my heart beating from within my chest.   
  
Something about this autumn chilled me like nothing had before, it was indescribable in fact.  
The leaves danced   
around me as though trying to comfort my reeling thoughts, the wind  
urging the leaves to dance faster. And the sun was in the middle of it all, shining down bathing my  
coat in a golden hue.   
The king of stars seemed to be trying to comfort me as well, but to no avail. I continued  
down the forest   
path, to where the forests spirit seemed to be calling me.  
  
The towering trees climbed higher and higher like giants looking down, eating away  
at the suns radiant gaze. Leaving the forest to fall pitch as night.  
Not a cricket stirred as I walked down the all too familiar path.  
  
I wiped my eyes with the cuff of my sleeve willing the tears to subside, but even if   
they did it wouldn't stop the ache inside my heart, gnawing at me, eating me inside out.  
I Serena Tskino wasn't as strong willed on the outside as I may have appeared and I  
was letting it get the better of me.  
  
A flock of birds flew from an ageing tree, in a mad rushing wave. There must have been eighty of  
them at least, cawing as they evacuated the forest. As though the presence of me frightened them.  
The last bird swept out of the forest cawing once more, a leaf falling in its path.  
I watched the leaf fall to the ground, the way it seemed to procrastinate and sway back and forth through  
the wind.  
  
I passed a few more trees and headed down the secretive path I must have been down only  
a thousand times. To get away from life's scornful stare.  
  
Once I reached my destiny I sat upon my favored log and let the wind carry my troubles away...as  
it always had before.  
  
The sun peaked out from the gaps between the trees, greeting me with its gleaming light as  
though resting a hand on my shoulder,   
telling me everything would be alright.  
And then I smiled. A genuine smile, of happiness, and hope. Somehow I'd cross  
this bridge and voyage beyond it. 


	2. chapter 1

Oaks Gleam – Chapter 1  
  
--Frost--  
  
wakka@hehe.com  
  
http://starvilles.cjb.net  
  
---------------------------  
Standard disclaimer applies  
---------------------------   
  
Alternate Reality/ PG   
  
  
Oaks Gleam – Chapter 1  
  
  
  
She woke up with the sound of birds cawing, their sound mingling with the wind. She sighed and got out of bed.  
She'd had that same dream again, the one where she was in the forest.  
It all seemed so familiar but every time she tried to make sense of it, it all came up muddling.  
  
Where was that place her mind seemed to be well acquainted with?   
Why had she been crying? Serena sighed annoyed at where her thoughts had led her again, it was all too trouble some to think of now.  
She got out of bed feeling some what tipsy at her awakening and walked into her kitchen.   
  
Pouring herself into cooking was the only way she'd be able to forget about that dream. Sure she wasn't good at cooking…okay so she admitted   
She was a disaster in the kitchen.   
  
But at least the smell of burning food would bring her back to her senses.  
She grinned wryly and opened the fridge door.   
  
A container of orange juice and a pack of pudding graced her eyes.   
She starred unbelievingly, how was it possible to be so low on food and forget to go to the grocery?   
  
She muttered something about being overdue on shopping and walked back to her room prepared to head out to the town market and get her humanly needs.  
  
  
Serena lived on her own, preferably comfortable with the thought of a quiet home, she'd lived in Maine all her life and switched apartments like there was no tomorrow.  
  
Her first place had been too crowded, the next too noisy, the third…lets just say it wasn't quite comfortable. And so you see how it went.   
  
But finally she had found a place that suited her perfectly it was simple, quiet and had a beautiful location. She looked out her window and smiled, defiantly had a nice view,   
below her was a swarm of cars making their daily routines and all the taller buildings devastatingly remarkable, climbing yet higher and higher.  
  
But even though she was in the city the honking of the cars and the rest made no claim on her ears, being this high up, eighteen feet to be exact she was immune to the noise.  
  
Dressed in casual attire she slid her purse onto her shoulder and made her way to the door.  
The twenty four year old sighed softly as she stood on the elevator, pushing the 'L' button for lobby. Everything seemed to be fine in her life she had a good job, that paid well, great apartment…..Something was missing and she didn't have to think twice to know what it was. Family.  
  
Her family was beyond from perfect. It was the opposite….and she avoided the subject as best she could. It made her more angry than sad.   
Her father had left them, her mother, her and ….a baby on the way. Just when they needed him the most he had decided to elope with his new…women.  
  
Serena's P.O.V.  
  
I had never seen my mother weep so hard. She cried on days end, and starred solemnly out the window, waiting as though he'd come back. It pained me so deeply to see my mother like that.  
I had only been nine at the time but I knew exactly what was happening I understood how my mother felt. Empty, heartbroken, alone…..  
They were all familiar feelings, feelings I knew from experience.   
  
But now wasn't the time to talk about…him. I had already reminisced into the past and I wasn't ready to do it again. I wasn't ready to put a shadow on my heart, as I had done so many years before…..As they say….Leave the past in the past.   
  
I walked out of the building and out into the spring air, cheery blossoms were sprouting about.   
It was May, and a joyous one at that.  
  
  
Authors P.O.V.  
  
She walked over to her car, a red jeep, she smiled and hoped in and roared up the engine.   
Destination: The grocery.  
  
  
  
He groaned and ran his hand through his midnight hair which he was sure was an unruly mess upon his head. He picked up his cell phone that had tempted to ring several times already.   
"Hello?" he answered annoyed.   
"Hey to you too." His best friend Andrew answered back. Sure Andrew was his best friend but damn was he annoying at times. This must have been the fourth time he'd called in an hour.  
Obviously asking him to watch over things at his business for one day was a horrid idea.  
  
"What is it?" Darien Shields asked impatiently as he drove through the busy city of L.A.  
  
"Okay well, uh, while I was typing up this order I uh happened to uhm…I don't know I guess do something and I got some type of error."   
"What type of error?" Darien asked his patience wearing out. Sure he was only twenty five but he owned Shields Enterprise, a very wealthy and important business, handed down from generations since his great grandfather.  
He was too young to die but it seemed Andrew had a death wish for him.  
  
"Er...well order crashed?" Andrew said quietly in to the phone, waiting for the time bomb.  
But instead heard him mumble "I'll be right over." And a click signaling the conversation was over.  
  
Andrew meanwhile looked at his phone confusedly and hung it up shrugging. 'Him and his mood swings…you just never know what's coming' he thought to himself, looking intently back at the computer.  
  
Darien hung up the phone, and glanced outside his window. A large crowd graced his eyes. They were obviously looking at some commotion, his brow furrowed together. "Th' hell?" he muttered confused, pulling into a parking space and turning off the engine content on seeing what the disturbance was.  
He pushed his way through the thicket of people and made himself close enough to at least here what was going on. "Get your hands off me!" a lady yelled.  
  
Darien's P.O.V.  
  
I pushed myself closer to see obviously this man had been harassing this lady.   
I looked the crowd in disgust; there they were simply looking making on move what so ever to help the women.  
Serena's P.O.V.  
  
I'd been driving through the city on my way to the grocery when I had noticed a quaint, yes quaint market place going on. So I'd decided to take a quick peak   
just for fun.  
  
I'd been walking down the street, the honking of the cars, the sweet succulent smell of food wafting from the opened restaurants opened doors, propelling me to walk faster as my stomach growled at my procrastination, as I saw a scarf.  
  
A soft looking pink scarf with red snowflakes on it. I bit my lip and decided a quick look wouldn't hurt.  
  
Marveling the scarf, I felt someone behind me, grabbing my waist and pull me into his hard chest. I gasped and felt that lump in my throat, it was fear.  
I tried to pull away but he only tightened his grip whispering into my ear "You like the scarf huh? Just let me—"I cut him off by stomping my foot on his toe and jabbing my elbow into his chest.  
  
I heard him groan in pain and let go. I dropped the scarf and started jogging away from him.  
I told myself not to look back, not to see his horrid face again. But there he was again but this time he grabbed my arm, he obviously didn't know when to stop. "Get your hands off me!" I yelled.   
  
I was about to reply further when a voice shout out silencing my thoughts. The owner of the voice stepped out of the crowd looking like my guardian angel. His deep blue eyes enticed my and I gasped softly. "I told you to leave her alone." He said once more walking up to my harasser and standing between us.  
  
The man snarled and replied "Just who the hell do you think you are?"  
"Someone that can make you pay if you ever try a stunt like this again…and trust me I'll be sure that promise stays in tact; I'll make sure of it. My father Walter Shields will too." The blue eyed man spoke.  
  
I gasped softly once more, this time not of amazement… this time out of recognition. Walter Shields only had one son…this would have to be Darien Shields owner of the most important companies.  
  
The man turned around and left abruptly no questions asked, and soon after the crowd dispersed.  
  
Darien then turned to me and looked at me with concern. I felt a heat brush my face and I knew I was blushing. I was blushing! How embarrassing could that be, especially at a time like this.  
  
"Are you alright…no you can't be. You're shivering." And he knew just as I knew that it wasn't because I was cold…I was shaken up. "I-I'm alright…honestly, thank you." I said quickly turning around. The wind billowing my hair as I walked away. I didn't want to. But I had to. What was he doing out here when he had a huge company to run? I asked my self.   
  
"Hey hold on," he said jogging up in front of me and placing his hands on my shoulder. I held my breath.   
His eyes if possible were even more breathtaking. Though they were a dark blue, flecks of silver passed through. Not only were his eyes bewitching, his whole face was chiseled nicely. And the way his deep midnight bangs flew on to his forehead was too sexy to bear.  
  
I think in some way he could tell I didn't want to talk about the previous events. He looked down and sighed, then moved so I could pass and to my surprise started walking with me.  
  
"So how long have you been here?" he asked casually stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. I laughed silently. My friend use to do that all the time when he was upset. Old habits die hard I supposed, for he still did it.  
  
"A while…" I replied. He nodded slowly in understanding. "Why'd you do it?" I asked abruptly, turning to face him.  
  
  
His brow furrowed together. "What?"   
"Tell everyone that my dog talks," I said letting my sarcasm get the better of me. "Why did you help me? I mean I'm glad you helped and everything…just curious."  
He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his short tousled hair.  
"Because …It was the right thing to do." He said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. I looked on confused.   
"I…couldn't stand to see you being treated liked that…against your will. And the fact that nobody else seemed to do anything got me upset." He admitted in defeat.  
  
I, this time nodded in understanding. "I see…my names Serena." I replied deciding that since I knew his name he might as well know mine.   
  
"Darien," he replied smiling slightly. "Hey how about some coffee?" he asked me.  
My stomach growled in reply. "Maybe some breakfast too." He chuckled.   
  
"Sure" I smiled. Who knew that I'd be talking to Darien Shields? The most powerful and hottest bachelor…of our time. 


End file.
